Who Am I? MBTI ®﻿ Style

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Who Am I? – Myers - Briggs Style

This age old question remains relevant no matter what age we are. Granted, there are many ways to approach this question and many layers to its answers. One undeniable aspect of all of us, though, is our personality. Personality “types” have been observed since the time of Hippocrates. We have always wanted to understand who we are and how we differ from others. A wonderfully useful instrument for determining our personality type can be found with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI ®.

Based on Carl Jung’s Type Theory, Katherine Myers and Isabella Briggs, mother and daughter, developed this instrument as a tool for returning World War II veterans to use in their career search. Since its development the MBTI ® has also been used for team and staff development, enhancing relationships, personal growth and counseling. It can not only help one understand themselves, but explain differences and promote appreciation of what Briggs called “gifts differing”.

This “gifts differing” perspective is one of the best parts of the MBTI ® as it focuses on one’s strengths and uniqueness. The personality preferences of the MBTI ® look at how we are energized, as well as how we receive information and make decisions and orient ourselves to the outside world. Have you ever noticed how even babies have different personalities? Jung states that we are born with our personality preferences, preventing us all from sameness. Not all of us are “wired” to be outgoing or self-reflective or detail oriented or future oriented or even organized! This is not to say that we can not develop skills to help balance our preferences, because we can. But the difference between a developed skill and an innate preference can be great and often misinterpreted as a weakness or annoyance to ourselves or others. By recognizing these innate differences we find ourselves having less conflict and fewer judgments about how people “should be”. The MBTI ® can also help us understand how our preferences align us with some, while contrasting us with others, even our own family members!

Knowing who you are and what it is that you bring to your relationships are necessary elements for healthy interactions with others. Creating a better understanding of others and their differences can be make relationships even stronger. Whether the relationship is that of co-workers, marriage partners, siblings, or parent and child the MBTI ® can enhance communication, conflict resolution, self-acceptance and many other relationship dynamics.

If you are interested in knowing yourself better through the MBTI ® call Michele at (630) 469-4818.